I had to share this precious photo sent to me by a “music mom”. I am sure this little student was overcome with exhaustion after a particularly productive practice session. I wonder if she was dreaming of playing at Carnegie Hall?
Music has so much to offer. It can entertain us but it can also challenge our intellect, stretch our creativity and soothe our emotions. This summer I am discovering that it can also bring you closer to your roots. My hometown is being highlighted in an outdoor theatrical production this summer. The St. Joseph historical…
Have you ever taken a good look at a piece of music…a really good look? It is made up of lines, dots, squiggles and a mish mosh of symbols….a beautiful piece of visual art that, when translated by the capable hands or voice of a musician, becomes an auditory treat….well, if it is translated correctly. Like…
I love mazes…the big ones made out of shrubs or corn stalks or stone. The ones that you enter into and wander through blindly, hoping each turn will bring you closer to the exit. Sometimes you hit a dead end and have to double back, sometimes you find yourself back at the beginning and have to…
How do you know when you are an exceptional student? When your teacher is always asking you for something new! You work hard at the shaping of a phrase so now your teacher requests that you add more rubato. You finally reach the metronome speed in your lesson book and your teacher comes up with…
A typical Saturday for me, as a child, included a ride with my dad or grandfather (or both) to a local hall with a trailer full of band equipment in tow. My brother and I would help unload the gear and proceed to ask my uncles (and adopted uncle) a bazillion questions. I am quite…
For a musician, nothing is worse than an instrument that is not in tune. Sour notes can be as nauseating as sour milk. Musicians heavily rely on their ear to determine accuracy of notes, intervals, tone, shading, balance and touch. You can imagine how difficult it would be to gauge all of these things if…
